Hoosier Water Projects Land Federal Support

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing more than $1.2 million in loans and grants for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in three rural Indiana towns. The funding is part of $272 million being awarded for projects in 37 states and Puerto Rico.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says investing in rural water infrastructure is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to build communities back up as recovery from the pandemic continues.

“When we invest in rural infrastructure, we build opportunity and prosperity for people in rural communities,” Vilsack said in a news release. These investments support the local economy by making rural communities attractive, economically viable and safe places to live and work, therefore helping to create and save jobs by attracting and retaining employers and workers.”

The town of Elizabethtown in Bartholomew County will receive a $687,000 loan to make needed updates to its wastewater facility. The project aims to bring the facility in compliance with Indiana Department of Environmental Management standards and help maintain safe drinking water.

The town of Hazelton in Gibson County will receive a $525,000 grant to make repairs to its water system, including rehabilitating the water treatment facility, water wells, and standpipe. The USDA says the town has experienced outages in its water source due to flooding from the White River and the repairs will provide a backup supply to help deal with disruptions in service.

Lastly, the Knox County town of Oaktown has been awarded a $50,000 grant to update its drainage systems with storm sewers, inlets, and ditches in critical areas. “The new storm water drainage facilities will increase storm water run off capture and more efficiently transfer storm water to appropriate outlets,” according to the USDA.

You can view the full list of recipients by clicking here.